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We, like many started out with a crappy TalkShoe website account and a 5 dollar-dollar store headset.

When it came time to upgrade and get serious, we looked at countless mics both dynamic and condenser from countless companies.

It really came down to going to a gear store and trying them out. Everything from $50.00 Chinese crap to a $28,000.00 limited edition mic from some German company where you could only guess at how to pronounce the name.

Through most of it, our buyer noted that the specs generally averaged out to include a nice wide 30Hz-20kHz frequency response range and a 130dB maximum SPL Sensitivity. When he combined those factors with our needs in the studio He found that generally, the field was narrowed to a nice workable price range of between $80.00 and $1,000.00 each for anything we'd likely want or need.

Ultimately, we settled in with the MXL line of mics for quality, afford-ability, great sound and longevity in the workplace. Anything MXL within the range of $70.00 for a nice 990, up to the GENESIS II at $999.00 are workhorses that will last while taking a beating.

Now, our studio is exclusive to MXL thanks in part to a corporate deal with them, but we already had our studio choice with them long before that.

Also we've used and recommend often RODE, Audio-Technica, Heil and SHURE as top quality professional grade mics for the money.

I recently heard someone using a snow ball and it sounded amazing. His cohost (Via Skype) was also using one and it was awful. Is it possible that they changed something in later models to make them better?

No. Mic technique and room acoustics are both essential elements in determining the quality of the final product.

Please direct all questions for me to the forum so that all can benefit.

Now, our studio is exclusive to MXL thanks in part to a corporate deal with them, but we already had our studio choice with them long before that.

If the MXL mics work for you then they're the best solution for you. My experience with MXL has not been so good. Their condenser mics are another flavor of Chinese capsules that so many companies import and throw on a mic body. Their dynamic is somewhat lackluster.

As an aside, I sent an audio clip of a recording we did with the AT2005 over Skype to a contact at a MAJOR mic manufacturer. He had never heard of the AT2005. After he heard the clip, his response to me was, "Wow!" It's a $50 mic.

Please direct all questions for me to the forum so that all can benefit.

I use the ShurePG58, about $60 at the local Guitar Center. I used to use a SONY electret condenser mic, one built for MiniDisc technology, 1 AA battery required. I use the Shure along with a Behringer Eurorack UB802 mixer.